Leave euro & vote Frexit: Le Pen unveils National Front manifesto

Date of publication: 05 02 2017, 03:03

Abandoning the euro and a possible vote on exiting the EU are part of a newly-released manifesto by France’s presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen. Drastically curbing migration and leaving NATO’s integrated command are also among the proposals.

France should reconsider its relations with the European Union and give up the single currency, Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front, said in her recently released manifesto. If that doesn’t happen, France may face a referendum on leaving the alliance.

“The aim of this program is first of all to give France its freedom back and give the people a voice,” Le Pen said, introducing the manifesto on Saturday in Lyon, Reuters reported.

In the manifesto, which consists of 144 “commitments,” the 48-year-old candidate says a future French government should leave the euro zone, hold a Brexit-style referendum, levy taxes on foreign workers, lower the retirement age and increase some welfare benefits, while cutting income tax.

The document, however, is quite vague on how the National Front’s economic program would allow it to reduce taxes and at the same time raise welfare payments.

The National Front leader also promised extra public spending to build new prisons for 40,000 more inmates and hire an additional 15,000 police officers.